Living the foodie life, gluten-free and Paleo style! Come along for the ride, it's always fun and exciting!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The wiles of baking! Whew... learning all the ins and outs that I already thought I knew. Somehow, when you're baking for someone else nothing seems to turn out right. I suppose it's Murphy's Law coming to haunt me. Oh well, I'm learning something new everyday.

I've decided it's time to start on the pie crust project. I haven't made a pie crust in quite some time, but with the holidays rapidly approaching, I'm feeling like some pumpkin pie might be in order. :)

AND, of course, I'm still working on the bread. I've got some tricks up my sleeve that I read about from a chef/professor with the CIA. Pretty cool stuff.

Oh yeah, and of course, the big news is that I'm going to partner up with a local coffee shop to provide them with gluten free goodies! It's very exciting. I want my fellow gluten-free-ers to be able to go somewhere, sit down to a nice cup of coffee, and order a piece of cake or pie or whatever. Perhaps that best news of the day!

Monday, September 27, 2010

I'm really not sure what the draw is to a cupcake. It doesn't seem like it should have the following it does, I mean, one little mini cake. But they are. Something about them is alluring. Perhaps it's the single serving size, the perfect amount. Just a little more than a bite, but much less than a big slice of cake. Whatever the reason, I have found myself wanting cupcakes recently. I decided on this rainy day that I would make cupcakes. So, I decided on a poundcake cupcake. It's sweet, but without the stickiness and the extra sweet of a frosting. Just dusted with a little powdered sugar. Can't wait!

As far as what else is available this week, I made a wonderful Irish Soda Bread with caraway seeds, so if you miss the taste of rye bread, which I certainly do, this will be right up your alley. It's delicious. Available in a square, flatbread type loaf, or a smaller, regular shape loaf.

And since it now officially fall and everyone is in love with the mini harvest loaves, they will be back this week also.

Be sure to stop in the Bickett Market to pick yours up, or give me a hollar and I'll whip some up just for you. (Or anything else you may want, for that matter!)

Monday, September 20, 2010

Last night I was feeling experimental again, and so I tweeked a cinnamon raisin bread recipe that I wasn't crazy about the first time I tried. But now, it is delicious!! Soft with a bit of a crust, and that hint of cinnamon. Fantastic! In fact, I smeared some peanut butter on it this morning and gave it to my son for breakfast. I think it's the first time he's finished breakfast in weeks.

AND, with fall in the air, I decided it was time to try something other than the coffeecake. I mean, we all know it's fantastic, one guy even told me it was life-changing, but be that as it may, I need to offer some variety. So, I went way back and pulled a recipe that my mom used to make growing up. I had to do some changing to make it gf, but when it was all said and done, I was happy that I did so. In fact, this recipe I converted last year and was my first successful conversion. I was pretty pleased with myself. All this to say, I present the Harvest Loaves! A sweet bread featuring pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Throw in a little chocolate chips and some pecans, and we in business!

Hungry? Want some? Get to Bickett Market or order directly through me.

Friday, September 17, 2010

So this is what I've learned in my two short weeks as a business owner: people want the cakes and sweets. Here I was fretting about a bread when really what people want is the dessert. Works for me.

Things are starting to take off. Word of mouth is starting to happen. And soon, yes, very soon, I have a feeling that I'll be baking by buns off (pun totally intended!). I can say from the perspective of the one looking for gluten-free items, there is this sort of rush that floods you when you find somewhere that actually sells it. And it's not that horrid 10 lb brick loaf of bread that in some states could possibly be classified as a concealed weapon. I hope I can live up to the expectations of my fellow GFers and my own.

Since I'm getting a little tired of eating bread (who knew someone with celiac would EVER say that?), I am going to play around with some more mini cakes and mini sweet loaves. This is going to be fun!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I've been working furiously on perfecting my sunflower seed loaf. Well really, I should backtrack. I am working furiously on perfecting a loaf of bread, this one happens to have sunflower seeds in it. Baking is such a science, especially when you are dealing with different starches, binders, etc. Not to mention the crucial task of getting the water amount right. There are so many different things that have to go right, it's hard to believe it all doesn't go wrong.

And then there's the shaping of the bread, whole different ballgame. When it's gluten free bread, it has a tendency to just glop out of the bowl and into the pan. I've experimented with shaping vs non-shaping, and the bread itself doesn't come out any different, aside from one looking better than the other. I am glad that I was never much of a baker pre gluten-free days, otherwise I'm sure I'd have a tough time with all of the nuances of gf baking. For now, I just keep practicing my art, because as much as it is science, it's also art. There's something about pulling a perfectly rounded, crusty loaf of bread from the oven that is beautiful. At least to me, anyway.

As for the perfect loaf, with or without sunflower seeds, I'll keep working at it. And when I figure it out, I'll pass it along.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

So, everything's rolling right along. Couldn't be happier! I've been officially a business owner for just over a week, and have actually sold some bread and some coffee cake! It still seems so unreal. Today is the official introduction of GFG into the market world. I'm off for "A tasting of GFG" at the market, and I couldn't be more excited. I'll be offering rosemary focaccia bread, delicious buttermilk coffee cake, cranberry orange muffins, and if I can swing it, some delicious pumpkin scones.

I am so excited to be a part of the local food scene, and to be doing it gf just makes it so much sweeter! I'm such a huge advocate of buying local, supporting the local economy and small business owners. I never thought I'd be one of them, but I feel honored to be joining them.

I hope to blogging more these days, recipes and other ideas. But for now, I should get up and start sconing!!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

I've been busy folks, busy! Today I put the finalizing touches on a business plan to submit to the state to have my kitchen certified. It's almost time to get baking! I'm not sure how something this wonderful has fallen into my lap, but I'm not about to question it. Now on to the marketing aspect of this business, which really shouldn't be so hard.

I am so blown away by this opportunity. I feel a sense of responsibility to those who have gone way before me, and have suffered through the gluten-free cardboard that was once passed off as food. Ok, so maybe there's still some of that stuff out there, but the truth is, gluten-free doesn't have to taste bad and I am so honored to be a part of it. Soon enough, I'll be posting recipes and the like. Life sure can be sweet!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

It seems as though this dream of mine is slowly becoming a reality. Very exciting!!! I have a connection with an ND close by, and so I am going to set up a meeting to share my business idea with her, and hopefully, we go from there. It's such a great feeling! To think that I can do something I feel so strongly about that is doing such a service to people... amazing!

On another note, I'm still working at the baking business. I love to create, and it definitely gets my creativity out. And I like to eat, so obviously it's a win-win situation! The process is just that, a process. But day by day, I'm feeling like I'm making some progress.

I think it's time to bake something. Maybe some focaccia bread for dinner??? mmmmm

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

As I sit here, jobless and broke, I keep rolling around this idea in my head. I know how to bake. I know how to be gluten-free and I have a passion for sharing that information. So, how do I make a living doing what I love?

The answer seems simple enough, but I feel as though I keep banging my head into a wall. Do I go ahead with the process of having my kitchen inspected and permitted by the state (which with 2 kids would be nothing short of a feat of gigantic proportions)? There seems to be a shortage of shared use kitchens around here, though I have seen talks of quite a few in the works throughout NC. Just doesn't help me now.

Or do I pursue my other dream and go ahead with a consulting business?

The choices on paper seem to be not so difficult, but I feel like there's grass growing under my feet and I am ready to take a leap! Maybe the choice will make more sense tomorrow morning after my coffee and a few phone calls...